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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694398">l'irréalité du temps</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamingbluepanda/pseuds/Flamingbluepanda'>Flamingbluepanda</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Torchwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birthdays, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor COE fix it, Vacations, a small amount of angst, discussions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:34:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694398</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamingbluepanda/pseuds/Flamingbluepanda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Unreality of Time</p><p>*</p><p>Jack and Ianto go to Paris</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>l'irréalité du temps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been trying to work out what to give my friend for her birthday for two months. She likes smut so originally there was pool smut and omegaverse smut and so many other things but today... I spat out this. </p><p>Sorry.</p><p>Anyway, Time is a construct. I can't tag her in this fic but she knows who she is.</p><p>Dedicated to you, my dear, may your twentieth year be filled with wonder and joy. I love you.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ianto was used to waking up to a million texts from Jack. Despite the fact that Jack spent many nights at Ianto’s flat, he would always leave if there was a weevil, or a rift alert, or if he got bored. And while Jack would always leave him a note (which Ianto would stash in a drawer with the others, and read when he needed to be reminded of Jack’s romantic side), Ianto would always wake up to many texts each morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d asked about it once, and Jack had just shrugged and said “do you know how long I’ve waited for instant messaging to come back? Mail is sweet and all but god it takes </span>
  <em>
    <span>forever.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This morning's barrage was all in the same vein- wake up, get dressed, rift alert scheduled at the train station for nine am </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t be late.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Which was why when Ianto ran into the train station at 8:50, he probably scared a few people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack was sitting on a bench, waiting for him. He smiled when Ianto approached and kissed him instead of answering his questions about what was going on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Ianto </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jack’s kisses, adored them even, but dammit they had work to do-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jack,” Ianto said, firmly, shoving him back. “It’s 8:55?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Already?” Jack asked, sounding far too bemused for a rift alert. “C’mon then, let’s get on the train.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto blinked as Jack handed two tickets to a conductor, led him into first class, and plopped in a seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto blinked. “Jack? Rift alert?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sit down, Ianto,” Jack said. His grin could only be described as </span>
  <em>
    <span>cocky. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto sat, glaring at him. “There’s no rift alert is there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re on this train because we’re going somewhere?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.” Jack shifted in his seat. “Settle in, it’s a bit of a ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto blinked, considering where the train went and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened, and he stared at Jack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Paris?” He asked, half excited and half terrified. Jack leaned over, and kissed him thoroughly. Then he pulled back, nodded. “Paris.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>They arrived just after Lunch, and Ianto found out that Jack had packed their bags and checked them before Ianto had even woken up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He led Ianto away from the train station, through the winding streets to a fancy hotel. Their room had a balcony overlooking Paris, and Ianto thought he might die from the burning warmth in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure if it was love or anxiety, but Jack spent two whole days whisking him around Paris. They ate crepes and bought roses and danced under a streetlight while music played. Ianto didn’t think about torchwood or Gwen or Tosh and Owen or anything- Just Jack, always smiling, chattering in perfect french with a beautiful lady, feeding him bites of duck at dinner, happy and free.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last night in Paris, it rained. Poured, in fact, as if reminding Ianto that yes, Cardiff still existed and yes, he’d have to go back there to its near-daily rainstorms tomorrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was drawn from his thoughts by Jack wrapping his arms around his waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food’s on it’s way up,” Jack said, kissing his cheek. “I was going to insist we go out but you have your pensive face on, so I figured it was a bad idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a pensive face,” Ianto protested, pensive as could be. Jack chuckled and dropped a kiss onto his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto turned in his arms, cupping his face and kissing him sweetly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he pulled back and whispered; “Why are we in Paris, Jack?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strangely, the question hadn’t come up. They’d been busy, and Ianto had been two thoroughly romanced to question it. Something flickered in Jack’s eyes, and he looked away “I can’t just take you away for no reason?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Technically, that's abduction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Technically, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you boarded the train of your own free will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Technically, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you’re evading.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack sighed, glancing at the clock. “I was going to wait until after midnight, but fine, you want to be a stubborn bastard…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack stepped away and rifled through his bag tossing a box at Ianto underhanded. “Happy Birthday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto blinked, brain suddenly jumping into gear and realizing that yes, it was the 18th, meaning that after midnight he’d be twenty-six.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You forgot, didn’t you?” Jack asked in deadpan, and Ianto flushed. “Well-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s exactly my point!” Jack insisted, flopping back on the bed. “You- god Ianto, you’ve been working for Torchwood for almost seven years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto blinked, then looked down at the box in his hands. He opened it and inhaled sharply- the watch was beautiful, crystal-encrusted and silver, with a leather band.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You lose sight of it,” Jack continued, staring at the ceiling. “Time. You forget how short a year can be, how long a person can live, what day it is. You read a paper about the average Torchwood lifespan being five years and wake up and realize your boyfriend is going to be 26."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jack…” Ianto set the box down on the nightstand and crawled onto the bed, laying on his side next to him. “I’m not going anywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you will,” Jack said, turning his head to look at Ianto. “Someday. You will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Planning my eulogy already, Harkness?” Ianto joked, but it fell flat. He sighed, looking away from Jack’s piercing gaze to watch the steady and neverending rise and fall of his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t fear death,” Ianto said, “not anymore. Not since I found someone who made me want to live. I fear… forgetting. Living long enough that I forget why I love you, you infuriatingly neurotic man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t forget,” Jack said, touching Ianto’s cheek with a feather-light caress. “Not even if I tried. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto swallowed thickly past the emotions in his throat. “Why are we in Paris, Jack?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that we can have time,” Jack answered, eyes soft as Ianto leaned forward to kiss him. “So that in a thousand years I can tell everyone I meet that I know what you look like happy and in love, because I took Ianto Jones on a romantic weekend to Paris and I made sure I knew.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto kissed him, licked at the inside of Jack’s mouth and ran his hands down Jack’s arms, so full of love he might cry. Jack’s hands came up to rest on his hips, clutching at button-down shirt until Ianto used one hand to undo the buttons and removed it. Jack’s hips jerked upwards, and he reached down to undo his own belt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They missed the knock from room service, too busy making sure they remembered how they loved.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day, on the train ride home, Ianto pulled out his birthday present again, taking it out of the box to put it on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack watched him, bemused. He leaned over to kiss his cheek and whispered “check the back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto flipped the watch over and smiled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A timepiece, for my favorite timekeeper. I love you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ianto slipped it on his wrist, then curled up against Jack’s side, watching the world outside of the window. Jack kissed the top of his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to tell you about someone,” he said, and Ianto listened patiently as Jack explained who Alice and Steven were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A month later, the children stopped. Instead of going to the hospital to meet Doctor Patanjali a second time, Ianto insisted Jack go get his family and make them safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The universe, in its kindness, gives them more time. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tumblr: www.flamingbluepanda.tumblr.com</p><p>byeeeeeeee</p></blockquote></div></div>
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